Electrical antenna



oct. 13, 1925. 1,557,049

.11. H. HAMMONQJR ELECTRICAL ANTENNA Filed May 1o. 191e IN VEN TUR Patented Oct. 13,A 192.5.

UNITED ySTAT PATENT OFFICE; f

JOHN HA'YS EAMMOND,'J'R.,'0F GLOUCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

ELECTRICAL ANTENNA.

Application med Hay 10, 1918, Serial No'. 233,763. Renewed November 10, 1922. Serial` No. 600,185.

and a resident of Gloucester, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts,-have v invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Antennae, of which the following is a` specication.

Some of the objects of the present invention are to provide an antenna for use with submerged dirigible bodies which is substantially invisible at a distance; to provide an antenna adapted to oat upon and travel over the surface of a body of water and to receiveand direct impulses of radiant energyto a receiving apparatus upon a submerged body; to provide an antenna which presents a relatively small target area upon the surface of a body of water; to provide a light, flexible, buoyant antenna adapted to serve as a lioating trailer for a submerged dirigible body; and to provide other improvements as will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents aside elevation of a torpedo equipped with an antenna tube embodying the present invention; Fig. 2 represents la longitudinal section) of the antenna tube; f

Fig. 3 represents a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 represents a longitudinal section of a portion of an antenna tube embodying a modified form of the invention; and Fig. 5 represents a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Referrin` to the drawings, one embodiment of this invention comprises any suitable dirigible body adapted Ato'be propelled beneath the surface of a body of water, for example a torpedo 10, which will be undersboodto be equipped with suitable wirelessy receiving apparatus for electro-radiant. energy and direction controlling mechanism operatedby said apparatus.

For receiving the impulses'of radiant energy to control the movement of the torpedo at will from a distance an antenna conducting strand 11 is provided consisting of a conducting strand of .considerable length connected at one end to the wireless receiving set within the torpedo and having -its outerend free but supported an appreciable distance. above the surface of the water. For supporting and properly positioning the conducting strand lllabove the surface of the water the torpedo V10 is provided with a rigid tubular member-12 exteding uppreferably having a laterally and rearwardly disposed neck 13 to which a coupling or annular clamp 14 ixedly secures a casing l5 by a leak-proof joint. This casing 15, in the preferred construction, is of rubber, though 1t may be of any suitable dielectric water-proof substance, in the form of an elongated tube having a closed outer end 16 whereby the interior of the, casing 15 is hermetically sealed and the contents thereof highly insulated from the surrounding body of water. The length of the member 12 is designed with respect to the depth of submergence of the dirigible body which car` ries it and its normal len th is such as to position the neck 13 just a ove the level of the water whereby the casing 415 extends rearwardly in the line of the neck 13 resting and trailing upon the surface vof the body of water. y

ln order to support the antenna strand 11 within the casing 15 and suitably spaced from the walls thereof there are provided a plurality of bulkheads 17 of insulating material through each of which the antenna strand 11 passes and is held against displacement. The circumferential edges of the heads 17 conform to the contour of the casing 15, which is preferably circular in transverse section, while the diameter of the respective heads 17' is of suicient length to vmaintain the casing 15 properly distended and spaced from the antenna strand 11 throughout its length.

To further maintain the casing 15 dis- Itended and in the form of an elongated tube it is equipped with a number of sleeves 20 of insulating material which are respectively inserted between the pairs of insulating heads 17 thus forming a plurality of chambers 21 which are' filled with air to give therequired buoyancy to the device so that it oats readily upon the surface of the water and maintains the antenna conducting strand 11 appreciably above the water level. The complete antenna therefor is an extremelyv light, buoyant structure, waterproof and air-tight, adapted to rest lightly upon the surface of the water and maintain Athe conducting strand 11 above the water wardly fromthe body of the torpedo 10 and level and insulated from the enveloping casing. y

Where the conducting strand 11 enters the neck 13 it is support-ed by one of the heads 17 to prevent contact with the walls of the member 12 and in order to further maintain this strand 11 spaced from the member 12 it is guided by suitable insulating discs 22 and `1n consequence reaches the. interior of the torpedo wlthout contacting with any metal parts.

Another form of the supporting means for the conducting strand 11 is shown i Figs. 4 and 5 wherein the head construction posed ends of the pairs ofsleeves 20 are spaced apart and the encasing tube for the strand ll'thus becomes a single long airfilled chamber of the desired flexibility and buoyancy.

The floating antenna thus provided is comparatively long, for example, fifty feet, while in diameter it is relatively small, preferably about four inches, and consequently when resting upon lthe surface of the Water or being trailed thereover it is practically invisible and even if seen -it presents a small target area', which is 'of paramount importance in this type of device. Furthermore the extended form of conducting strand substantially paralleling the level of the water and above its'su'rface has the advantage o f being very directive along its `length `and extremely selective against the effects of high potential stations in the vicinity, which are endeavoring to interfere, This is not merely on account of-the directive effects which characterize this type of antenna,but is also 'thought' to be due tothe relatively large capacity which does not allow a`sudden building up of potential due to the high potential discharges of an interfering station. The large capacity is thought to be due in part to the parallel arrangement and close proximity of the antenna witlrre ct to the surface ofJthe body of water, w ich acts as a condenser platelof, considerable area. The same effect has been noticed in antennae when a large lump inductance h as been added, the capaci in the present construction, acting somew, at similarly. Thus while very sensitivereceiving devices are necessary to receive on low antenna of 'this t e, nevertheless the -ecial .attribute of t e antenna itself pro 'bits .interference from affecting the receiving device.

Although only a few of the many forms in whichrthis invention may be embodied have been described herein, it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited to ytube hermetically sealed and adapte 4supported by said heads out of contact with any specific construction, but might be embodied in various forms lwithout departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

WhatI claim is:

1. In a wireless apparatus, the combination of a submerged dirigible body, an antenha connected thereto comprising a conducting strand, a casin enclosing said lstrand consisting of an e ongated buo ant to oat on the surface of a body of water, and means to insulate said conducting strand from said body of water.

2. In a wireless apparatus, the lcombination of a submerged dirigible body, an antenna connected thereto comprising a conducting strand, a hermetically sealed casing enclosing said strand, means -including a plurality of sleeves to insulate and support. said strand out of contact with the walls of' said casing, and -buoyant means tosupport said casing upon the surface of a body of water.

3.' In a wireless ap aratus, the combination of a submerged irigible body, an antenna connected thereto comprlslng a o onducting strand, a hermetically sealed caslng enclosing said strand, and means to msulate and support said strand outof contact with the wallsofsaid casing, saidy casin having a compartment illed with, air to oat sald antenna on the surface' of a body of water.

4.' In a wireless apparatus, a buoyant antenna comprising an elongated flexible tube of insulatingmaterial, a plurality of heads spaced at intervals within said tube and cooperating with the walls of said tube to form air chambers and a conducting strand 10:5 said tube and terminating at one end Within said casing.

5. The combination of an antenna and yielding buoyant means including a single, continuous flexible casing to support said antenna'in close proximity to and substantially parallel with the surface of .a body of water whereby saidantenna flexes and conforms to the contour of the surface ofthe water under all conditions.

6. In a wireless apparatus, the combination of a torpedo, an antenna comprising anelongated, buoyant tube and a conducting strand sealed in said tube, andfmeans connecting one end of said antenna to said tor- 120 pedo, said means being arranged to cause said antenna to trail on the surface of the water at. the normal submergence depth of said torpedo.

7. In a intelligence dyradiant energy, the combination with a irigible body adapted to float in ,a medium, of means for intercepting radiant energy comprising a conducting' Strand, a hermeticallysealed casing enclos- 13 stem for the transmission' of 125 ing said strand' and spaced apart therefrom, buoyant means coextensive wlth sald antenna to oat said casing in a substantially horizontal plane, and means to insulate said conducting strand romsaid body of Water.

8.l In a system for the'transmission of 1n- -telligence by radiant energy, the combination with a dirigble body adaptedto float ina medium, of means for intercepting radiant energy comprlslng a c onductlng strand, a hermetieally sealed casing enclosing said strand and spaced apart therefrom,

buoyant means coextensive with said antenna extending substantially the full length of the casing, andmeans to insulate said conducting strand from said body of Water.

9. In a system for the transmission of intelligence by radiant energy, the combina-A tion with a dirigible body adapted to oat 1n a medium, of means for intercepting radiant energy Comprising a conducting ing said strand and spaced apart therefrom,

buoyant means coextensivelwith 'said antenna -for sustaining substantially the full length ofthe casing, and means to insulate said conducting ,strand from said body'of Water.

10.-In a system intelligenceV by radiant energy, thecombination with a dirigible body adapted to oat inja medium, of means for intercepting radiant energy comprising av conducting strand, a hermetically sealed casing enclosing said strand, and .buoyant means at spaced points in said casing for sustaining the casing in said medium.

for the transmission of' Signed at New York in theV county of New York and State of New York this 25th day ofApril A. D. 1918.

JOHN HAYS HAMMOND, J R. 

